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Aegis Juris president urged hazing suspect to lie, Solano testimony shows
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 18) — The alleged incumbent president of the Aegis
Juris Fraternity is accused of urging suspect John Paul Solano to tell lies about the fatal hazing of
Horacio "Atio" Castillo III.
Senators expressed frustration as Arvin Balag, an Aegis Juris member who is believed to be
president, frequently invoked his right against self-incrimination when questioned. This
prompted senators to cite him in contempt and order his detention.
Solano's closed-door testimony on September 25 was made public at the Senate Committee on
Public Order and Dangerous' drugs hearing into the death of Castillo. In it, Solano told senators
it was Balag who directed frat members how to deal with an unconscious and bruised Castillo on
September 17.
It began with a phone call from frat member Oliver John Onofre early Sunday, asking Solano to
come to the fraternity library in Manila, where the hazing took place.
Related: Paddles found in Aegis Juris fraternity library
Solano said he refused Onofre's "calm request," saying he had other things to do.
But three words prompted him to rush to the library.
"Brod, may nag-collapse (Brod, someone collapsed)," Solano quoted Onofre as saying in another
phone call at around 7 a.m.
Solano arrived at the library after an hour.
"I opened the door, I found Atio was lying (on the floor)," Solano's testimony said. He said it
was the first time he saw Castillo, and he addressed him as "Hor," short for "Horacio."
Castillo's pupils were dilated, and he had no pulse, Solano said. A registered medical
technologist, he said he tried to revive Castillo, but he failed.
Solano told frat members Castillo had to be rushed to the University of Santo Tomas (UST)
Hospital, which he said was 10 to 15 minutes away from the frat library.
But Balag insisted they should go to the Chinese General Hospital which Solano said was 20 to
40 minutes away.
Aside from Balag and Onofre, fraternity members Axel Hipe and Mark Ventura were there,
Solano said.
They went straight to the hospital's parking lot. Solano said he did not know what to say to the
nurses, so he asked Balag.
"Sabi ni Arvin Balag, 'Sabihin mo napulot mo sa Balut, Tondo (Arvin Balag said, 'Tell them you
saw the body in Balut, Tondo),'" Solano said. He said he followed Balag's order, out of panic.
He said it was also Balag who forced him to stay behind with Castillo.

"Tinanong ko si Arvin, sabi ko 'Brod kailangan daw may maiwan.' Sabi niya, 'Ikaw na maiwan (I
asked Arvin who will stay. He said I should stay)," Solano recalled.
He refused, but Balag said, "Alangan namang kami (It shouldn't be us)."
Solano said he stayed behind, "Out of gusto ko ring tulungan iyong bata (because I wanted to
help Castillo)."
The four frat members left him behind. "I am on my own," Solano recalled telling himself.
Solano, a principal suspect in the case, turned himself in to Senator Panfilo Lacson on September
21 after going into hiding. He was released on September 27, the same day Castillo was laid to
rest, as he promised to cooperate with authorities.
Read more: Police release suspect in hazing victim's death
Senators are investigating the death of Castillo, a 22-year-old freshman UST law student killed
after a supposed "welcoming party" of the Aegis Juris Fraternity on September 16. His parents
said Castillo promised to come back on September 17, Sunday. But he never did. Police said his
cause of death was "severe blunt traumatic injuries." They added Castillo had hematoma or
bruises on both upper arms, as well as marks of candle wax drips all over his body.
Frat president declared in contempt, ordered detained
Fraternity members Balag, Onofre, Hipe, and Ventura all invoked their right against self-
incrimination when asked about Solano's testimony. They are all facing murder, robbery,
perjury, and anti-hazing law charges filed by the Manila Police District.
Balag at first refused to affirm a question as to his position in the fraternity, prompting Senator
Grace Poe to move for him to be cited in contempt.
Senators approved Poe's motion.
"Sergeant-at-arms, after this hearing you place him under detention," said Lacson, chairman of
the Committee on Public Order. "Just answer straight, do not be evasive," he told Balag.
Balag later apologized, saying he was afraid any detail he would provide can be used against
him.
"Yes I'm a member. But as to its incumbent presidency, I'm already in another school po kasi.
I'm already in Lyceum College of Law since August," he said.
UST Law Dean Nilo Divina, an Aegis Juris Fraternity almunus himself, said Balag had actually
been debarred or removed from law school for failing some subjects. The dean also added that
Aegis Juris was not accredited to operate on campus in 2017 due to a previous case against them
in 2016 concerning an altercation.
Related: UST Law Dean mulls resigning from Aegis Juris
Balag, however, refused to answer Senator Joel Villanueva's question on who decided for
Castillo's body to be brought to the Chinese General Hospital.
Balag again invoked his right against self-incrimination.
"Then your contempt will remain," Villanueva said.
Balag tried to speak as Lacson suspended the hearing, but Lacson refused to recognize him.
"We gave you all the chances kanina (a while ago)," Lacson said.
Balag was brought to a detention room in the Senate.
Solano testimony
Solano first disclosed details of what transpired in the hazing death during an executive session
with senators on September 25.
He initially refused to release it on Wednesday.
"I am bound due to the cases that have been filed against me. And there is an ongoing
preliminary investigation. So I am invoking my right against self-incrimination," he said.
But Senator Miguel Zubiri moved to release Solano's testimony.
"Let's no longer allow the disrespect of this committee and I move to release the testimony of
Mr. Solano that he had given during executive session authored and approved by 21 members of
this honorable body," Zubiri said.
The motion was approved with no objections.
Prior to that, Zubiri lashed out at Solano for the delayed release of his sworn statement.
"Ginagago mo ba ang committee na ito dahil dalawang beses na, at ilang beses na po, may
panahon ng pagbigay ninyo ng iyong sinalaysay, sworn statement… at hindi ninyo ginawa," he
said.
[Translation: Are you playing dumb with this committee because for several times, you had the
chance to give your sworn statement but you didn't."]
Solano said, "No, po… What happened was beyond my control."
But Zubiri did not buy Solano's excuse and said he was being forced by his frat brothers to hold
the release of his statement.
Later, in an interview on CNN Philippines' News Night, the senator claimed the possible cover-
up was undeniable.
"Well it was very clear... that there was a possible cover up being done by members of Aegis
Juris fraternity right after the crime had been committed. In many of the timeline that you see
there, it is right after the reported death of Atio Castillo," Zubiri said.
"And what is disturbing... [sic] is many of these gentlemen are lawyers, they're not just law
students, many of them are actual lawyers," he added.
found alleged hazing victim a 'person of interest' in slay case
By Rex Remitio, CNN Philippines
Updated 10:08 AM PHT Wed, September 20, 2017
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 19) — The police are looking for six "persons of
interest" in the suspected hazing death of 22-year-old University of Santo Tomas (UST) law
student, Horacio Castillo III.
Among these is John Paul Solano, Castillo's fellow Thomasian who claimed to have found the
freshman's body Sunday morning in Tondo, Manila where it seemed to have been dumped.
The Manila Police District (MPD), which is investigating the case, has declined to reveal who
the other possible suspects are but said they are looking at the Aegis Juris Fraternity head and
two recruiters.
Authorities on Tuesday said no one from Aegis Juris has surfaced to cooperate in the police
investigation. Castillo's father earlier said his son asked permission on Saturday to stay overnight
at the UST campus for the welcome rites of the law school-based fraternity.
Solano, also a UST law student, earlier told police he found Castillo at the corner of H. Lopez
Boulevard and Infanta Street in Tondo and flagged down a vehicle to help him bring the victim
to the Chinese General Hospital.
But officials of Barangay 133 said there was no body in the area mentioned.
MPD Spokesperson Superintendent Erwin Margarejo noted the inconsistencies between
Solano's sworn statement and that of barangay officials.
"Nagisyu na po ng certification yung barangay disputing the initial statement of John Paul
Solano," he said.
[Translation: The barangay has issued a certification disputing the initial statement of John Paul
Solano.]
The police are calling on Solano to clarify the matter or they would file perjury charges against
him.
"Sa ngayon nakikipagcoordinate tayo sa school authorities ng UST para makakuha tayo ng list of
members of the fraternity group na enrolled," the spokesperson said.
[Translation: Now we are coordinating with the UST authorities so we can get a list of the
enrolled members of the fraternity.]
The police are also looking at the fraternity library of Aegis Juris, where the hazing could have
happened. Authorities cannot inspect the area without a search warrant, but they are hoping the
fraternity would be willing to open the locked library doors to help speed up the investigation.
Margarejo doubts the fraternity is willing to cooperate with the police, despite its earlier to help.
He said the preventive suspension on Aegis members ordered by UST law Dean Nilo Divina will
actually make their work harder.
"If they are suspended to enter the UST premises, sinong iimbestigahan natin? Kaya hindi
makakatulong (ang preventive suspension)," he noted.
[Translation: If they are barred from entering UST premises, who will we investigate. It will not
help.]
In a statement to CNN Philippines, Divina said they have released the names and addresses of
Aegis members to UST officials.
"It is not true. We have released the names and addresses of the officers and members of the
Aegis Juris Fraternity based on their filings with UST," the dean said.
Margarejo invited the other neophytes who were with Castillo the night he died to appear before
the police, assuring them they have nothing to worry about if they are not involved in the
victim's death.
Family mourns
The Castillo family is asking for time and space to mourn as the wake for Atio, as he is fondly
called, is held at the Sanctuario de San Antonio in Makati.
The young man's father, Horacio Castillo Jr, said Atio's 86-year-old grandmother is still unaware
of the fate of her favorite grandson. He said Atio had asked his grandmother, who is undergoing
dialysis, to hang tight and wait for him to finish law school.
The Castillo family is calling for justice. They said Atio had many hopes and dreams but he was
killed by criminals from a fraternity who should have been his brothers.
They are pleading with the UST administration to conduct an impartial and swift investigation
into the case. They are also hoping Divina would stand up for Atio despite his affiliation with
his own fraternity.
The National Bureau of Investigation and the Commission on Human Rights are conducting also
independent probes into the death of Atio.
CNN Philippines' Triciah Terada contributed to this report.